What is a better option than shein?

[-]

DragonfruitDry7683@reddit

Amazon is no different, they come from the same places

[-]

Wide-Environment1255@reddit

You’ll need to stop shopping literally EVERYWHERE if your that concerned. So just buy the clothes and stop worrying about it. I promise you'll be a happier person.

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

Is there a way to know what the clothes are made of? I've never tried vinted before

[-]

You can filter on Vinted by the material, so it only shows you clothes tagged as cotton if you filter to show cotton only. You can also ask for pictures of the care label too like the commenter mentioned below.

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

When it comes to sellers whats the safest amount of reviews so I don't get scammed?

[-]

miklovesrum@reddit

There is a filtering option to filter by material.

Vinted's filtering options are actually very good. The only issue I have with it is that you can't look at "men's" and "women's" clothes all on one page if you want to look at a specific category, tshirts for example. Otherwise their filtering options are really very good.

[-]

Temporary_Hair1477@reddit

Well I mean the sizing is a bit messed up rn but overall it’s good

[-]

miklovesrum@reddit

Oh yeah clothing sizes are a pain in the arse, especially women's clothes.

[-]

Temporary_Hair1477@reddit

I usually look by brands that I know are sustainable/better quality.

You can either ask the seller for the care label and it will show you or research different brands

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

Is there a way I can avoid being scammed on vinted? It happened once before

[-]

Etheria_system@reddit

Buy from people with a high number of positive reviews, never pay off platform, don’t buy anything expensive especially not electronics, if it seems to good to be true it probably is. Ask for more details if you need them, don’t buy listings with bad photos or AI edited photos, read the description fully to ensure they’re not hiding anything in it (like information about damage hidden after lots of text).

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

Yeah that was my mistake I got scanned out of a Nintendo switch, I know it sounds silly but how can I know that the photos are AI edited?

[-]

_pankates_@reddit

If it looks glamorous it's probably AI or edited. If it looks like just a quick pic someone snapped on their phone it'll be real - and more likely to be good value for money as it'll be someone decluttering rather than trying to get a mark up on it to make profit. Preworn snf therefore prewashed is great for reducing exposure to the chemicals from making clothes, dyeing, shipping etc.

[-]

Etheria_system@reddit

Weird backgrounds, perfect bodies, photos all have the exact same pose for each item. Lots of things. Do some research on how to tell AI photos in general as a starting point - there’s lots of resources out there if you google or search on YouTube

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

Will do! Thank you for your advice kind person! 🤍

[-]

yolo_snail@reddit

So you've never tried vinted, but you've been scammed on Vinted?

Make your mind up

[-]

UnacceptableUse@reddit

Vinted is second hand clothes but sometimes they'll tell you what it made of. 99% of it is going to be better stuff than shein anyway

[-]

my-comp-tips@reddit

Worked in manufacturing and I really don't understand how half this shit is allowed to be sold. So many people wasting their money on poor quality products. As others have mentioned your better off using Vinted or going to a Charity shop.

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

Definitely giving vinted a try, unfortunately charity shops in my town are closing down so there's not much of a selection

[-]

my-comp-tips@reddit

I love looking through Vinted for used computer equipment. Give that a second life.

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

With electronics, how can I avoid being scammed? I know things like these have higher chances of not being legit

[-]

my-comp-tips@reddit

Good point. I've worked in computers all my life, so know about the older gear, and know what I'm looking at.

[-]

n1keym1key@reddit

The fact they are full of shit and mass produced is the very reason that the shit clothes from Shein are cheap.

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

Yeahh I found out about the forced and child labour and since then I've completely avoided shein where I could, I feel guilty for keeping the clothes and things I got from there tho

[-]

-FangMcFrost-@reddit

As a lot of people have already said, Vinted it your best option.

I was once a bit wary of Vinted myself but then a friend convinced me to try it after telling me his experiences with Vinted. At first I only bought stuff but these days, I'm both buying and selling on Vinted and I've not really had any negative experiences so far, although I have came across some obvious scams which I have avoided.

If you're worried about getting scammed, then here's some things you can do.

- Always read the item's description and look at every photo that the seller has uploaded.

- Don't rush into buying something that's too good to be true. Always double-check the listing to make sure it's not a scam.

- If a listing doesn't mention what the clothes are made of or if there's no photo of the label, you can always send the seller a message asking them to send you a photo of the label. If they do it, great and if they don't, no big deal as it's them who are losing a potential customer. There's loads of other pieces of clothing on Vinted for you to buy.

- The seller's name and rating are always visible on every listing, so remember to check out their rating and also their feedback via their profile.

- Profiles on Vinted always display the last time the seller was active, so if you see an item you would like to buy and you check out the seller's profile and the seller hasn't been on Vinted in two months or so, then there's a good chance that it's an inactive/abandoned profile and you most likely won't get the item if you bought it but Vinted will give you your money back if that does happen, so don't worry about that.

I hope that helps you in some way.

[-]

ImFamousYoghurt@reddit

If you want to try before buying, charity shops (check brands before buying) or the likes of Primark/supermarkets as they do have to follow regulations for safety. Vinted does work if you know what you want, and there is buyer protection so scams are unlikely, but you can't try things on (can't return if they don't fit) and everyone knows that women's clothing sizing is a nightmare

[-]

zendayaismeechee@reddit

Try Vinted

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

Is there a way to avoid getting scammed on there it's happened once before

[-]

zendayaismeechee@reddit

Look at seller reviews before you buy. Designer items such as Doc Martens have to be verified before you can sell so that gives some good peace of mind. I’ve been using it for years and have never been scammed, touch wood. It’s just a matter of trust and also from what I’ve seen, Vinted are pretty good at banning scammers and issuing refunds

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

Damn I should've got a refund while I could, oh well touch wood I won't be scammed again 😅

[-]

miklovesrum@reddit

Vinted would be unlikely to refund you money that you paid on an external site, since vinted wouldn't have been involved in that transaction so they couldn't do anything about it.

They are good at giving refunds if there's a problem with the item. I've had that twice and I was refunded both times.

[-]

VOODOO285@reddit

Avoid fast fashion. Buy decent clothes, just fewer of them, that last and are frequently timeless.

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

Is vinted any good? Someone above suggested it but Ive never tried it before

[-]

DameKumquat@reddit

If you know your size in expensive brands, it's great. Or even cheaper ones, if you can't be bothered to go shopping.

I've been replacing H&M jeans every 6-10 months, because I know a style that fits and there's usually one on Vinted. I could afford the £29.99 but why not pay just £8 including delivery?

And brilliant for shoes and boots.

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

I got scammed once before on there, is there a way I can avoid that again?

[-]

DameKumquat@reddit

How did you get scammed? Did Vinted refuse to refund you? If so, did you get a refund from your credit card?

I see a lot of bad descriptions and implying stuff is better than it is, so only buy when it's clear what I'm getting.

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

I was about 20 when I did it so that's about four years ago now I was buying a Nintendo switch on vintage it was like a hundred pound but when it came to check out the seller told me to send him the money through a bank transfer and then blocked me I was going to get the money back from vintage but I was just so ashamed that I didn't do it

[-]

miklovesrum@reddit

It's always a good idea to NEVER send money outside of the platform you are buying the product on. I'm sure you know this now but I thought I'd say anyway. And this applies to all buying and selling platforms.

I'm sorry you lost your money.

[-]

auntie_eggma@reddit

You didn't get scammed because of vinted. You got scammed because you went off vinted and sent someone free money.

That being said, if you're looking for popular expensive brands on vinted you are at greater risk of scams than if you are just looking for clothes you'll like and don't care about trends or fancy names.

[-]

DameKumquat@reddit

Yeah, never ever go off-site to pay a seller - not Vinted, eBay, not AirBnB or anyone. At least you learned your lesson for only £100.

[-]

Be-My-Enemy@reddit

Vinted is people selling every imaginable type of clothes second hand. Why don't you download it and have a browse

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

Having a browse now vinted is such a godsend! 😁

[-]

Etheria_system@reddit

Didn’t you say in another comment you were scammed on there?

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

Yeah I'm just waiting for someone to reply

[-]

blarfblarf@reddit

Vinted is a bit like ebay.

[-]

Brookiekathy@reddit

Charity shop

[-]

auntie_eggma@reddit

This is the way.

Buy decent secondhand instead of shitty new.

[-]

Silvagadron@reddit

I don’t know your financial situation, but if it’s possible to do so, try buying in person from UK retailers who make things locally rather than online Chinese imports. It’ll last a lot longer, will have complied with safety laws surrounding textile manufacturing, and you can inspect things like stitching detail, composition, and texture of the material (e.g. not all wool feels nice to wear) before purchase to ascertain quality.

[-]

pgnlzbth@reddit

Vinted

[-]

Etheria_system@reddit

Stop buying clothes because they’re cheap - ignore fast fashion trends and buy more slowly.

You don’t need to buy new clothes every week or even every month. Treat yourself to a couple of new things each season and buy from places that make clothes that last. Chances are you don’t even need to do that if you have a wardrobe full of clothes already.

It’s better to buy 2 tops that will last than 10 tops that are made to be worn a couple of times and then thrown out.

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

Is vintage any good for this? a lot of people suggested it and I'm thinking about buying from there

[-]

Etheria_system@reddit

It can be but you need to be savvy using it - a lot of people will upload shein or temu clothes on there and pretend they’re vintage/boutique etc. If it’s not listed with a known brand name eg New Look, Next, Fat Face etc, always do a reverse image search to see if the item is actually just someone reselling stuff at a higher price.

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

Alrighty! I'll keep that in mind when I'm clothes shopping, thank you kind person! 🤲🤍

[-]

Plenty_Suspect_3446@reddit

I don't buy clothes online after a bad experience with Next.

That being said i've got some wool Aran jumpers I bought online a few years ago that I still wear.

At the moment I work for Asda doing delivery so clothes are casual and I buy from George (with employee discount) for cheap day to day clothes. Cotton polo and t-shirts. I like to wear shorts in Spring-Autumn and trousers in winter. As long as they are black and I have a hi-vis vest and coat my managers don't care about uniform.

Coats are important. I've got a heavy moleskin/wool coat I picked up in New Zealand from Swanndri. It's survived about 10 winters but could use waxing.

Prior to that I bought cheap day to day clothes from tesco and sainsbury. Basically I only buy cotton for base layers and avoid polyester and other synthetic clothes as they inflame my eczema. I know all these supermarkets use cheap foreign labour and the cotton is produced with questionable means and i'm not comfortable with that (Asda/George claims all their cotton is organically produced), but the end requirement is having clothes i'm comfortable to wear that don't cost a fortune because i'll just wreck them with work, exercise, DIY, gardening, etc.

My smart-casual clothes are mostly from Marks and Spencer. As a man it's painful to go shopping for clothes, but far easier than for women. A few chinos, jeans, shirts and my wardrobe is sorted.

I buy shoes from Clarks and trainers from Sports Direct.

[-]

forgetthenineties@reddit

I second Vinted! I've bought a lot of stuff and I've never had a bad time at all.

[-]

saxbophone@reddit

Shein's also highly likely to be using Uiyghur forced labour in its supply chain, so literally any other clothinf supplier not implicated in that is likely to be a better choice, the low bar that it is...

[-]

PolarLocalCallingSvc@reddit

The best solution is probably avoiding fast fashion.

But fewer but higher quality items of clothing. If things break, repair them.

I appreciate this is a culture shift though.

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

Definitely! When I found out about the slave labour thing I instantly felt guilty, I just need to get through to my mother about quitting shein now

[-]

PolarLocalCallingSvc@reddit

Yeah I feel like I know too many people who buy from the likes of Temu to get preachy about it, but your mileage may vary!

I've taken to repairing a lot of my stuff and I find it quite satisfying. Sometimes it's not possible, or it would look awful or whatever, but I think a lot of stuff works! And even down to socks - a darning mushroom is very cheap and I can repair the socks sat in front of the TV. It's quite therapeutic :D

I am male though, so the need to wear a different dress every day isn't really a concern, which I appreciate.

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

I got some good clothes in there but I'm now feel the need to throw them out should I do it? I feel terrible if I keep them but then again I won't have any clothes if I throw them away 😅

[-]

BrowsingnDaydreaming@reddit

Throwing them away surely just contributes to all the environmental problems. Plus shein have already got your money so even if you throw them away it doesn’t help the workers there. And not all shein clothes were found to have toxic chemicals. A lot of them were from less than reputable brands anyway. Also avoid buying the same crap on amazon as they will have the same chemicals.

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

I pretty really buy a stuff out Amazon because of the shipping price but how can I know what products have toxic chemicals on Amazon?

[-]

BrowsingnDaydreaming@reddit

Generally they’ll be sold by random store names and have very little reviews. The products will be very cheap and the photos are often stolen from another site and look very similar to shein photos etc. Honestly, i wouldn’t worry too much, there’s no real way to be sure of what is in our clothes and food and so on. Not every single item has toxic chemicals, we simply cannot know for certain what is safe and what isn’t.

[-]

Radiant_Chart3163@reddit

Charity shops, eBay and vinted.

[-]

PomPomBumblebee@reddit

Instead of 10 cheap things, buy 1-2 good quality stuff over a few weeks/ months.

Or if you are my mother, go bonkers on George and New Look sales.

[-]

naomi_0000@reddit (OP)

My mother's that way with shein, but trying to get her to stop buying things from there is really hard 😂

[-]

PomPomBumblebee@reddit

Since losing weight I don't have to rely on shein as heavily as I did last year.

I bought a lovely jumper and top from Sugarhill (Jan sale) 2 blue vanilla things (floaty top and tailored dress) and a summer dress (in sale) from New look and a top from Popsy I really, REALLY wanted a jumpsuit of but were out of my size but the pattern was so beautiful I had to have something. That and a pair of pajamas and a bra from Primark (first time I've been able to get into any Primark bras in over a decade). Oh and a top from a charity shop.

That's all the clothes I have bought this year, my splurge on NL made me realise I had missed better quality clothes. I still can't get into many sizes from other places but it's a start. I got rid of about 10 bags of old clothes in the early new year and I'm trying my best not to get any more clothes from shein unless it's to experiment making costumes from.

[-]

akarxqueen@reddit

Just don’t ? It’s not hard

[-]

AutoModerator@reddit

Please help keep AskUK welcoming!

When replying to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc. If a post is marked 'Serious Answers Only' you may receive a ban for violating this rule.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!

Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.